PODCAST

June 17th, 2015

The pastor raised his hands for the benediction, “I pray that you are prosperous this year: may your businesses succeed and may your bank accounts expand.” That’s when she knew she needed to find a new church. She said to me, “I want to know Jesus. For some of us, losing everything would be the best possible experience to help us become true disciples of Jesus.”

We are so often lured and trapped and mummified by “merely human concerns.” What is it that chokes out the seed of the Gospel that began growing so well? It’s the “worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth” (Matthew 13:22).

Peter is a stark reminder that we can have great “faith” but still be unfaithful. He knew who Jesus was: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). He believed he could die for Jesus (Matthew 26:35). And yet, Jesus says Peter is a stumbling block to the Kingdom because Peter is only thinking about “merely human concerns.” Instead, Jesus calls Peter to follow him on the path of downward progress in humble service.